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Tulips – locally grown
TNB Tulips are one of if not the largest growers of Tulips in Victoria for the commercial cut flower industry. Els Bakker is the lady who runs the very impressive high tech facility in the Dandenongs just outside of Melbourne. Els comes from a long lineage of flower growers in Australia and the Netherlands, which is where her precious bulbs originate. Each year we visit Els and her team with our Floristry Career Change course students and each time we are blown away by her dedication to bringing the industry new and even more exquisite varieties of tulips.
See below for more information on Tulips on images from our time with El at TNB Tulips
Common name Tulip
Botanical name Tulipa hybrida
How to tell it’s good quality..
Choose well coloured buds and flowers that are partly open
Look for strong stems and glossy leaves with no signs of damage or yellowing
Avoid drooping or wilting leaves or flowers
Products or arrangements it’s suitable for, stem length..
Stem length 30cm–80cm
Mostly suitable in vases but can be used in foam
Conditioning, care and storage needs..
Split the bunches and strip the lower leaves, then wash the ends of the stems well
Cut 2cm–4cm from each stem with secateurs and put the stems in cold water with NO preservative
Replace the water daily
Keep them cool
It is suggested not to bucket them with daffodils or jonquils unless you have had the daffodils or jonquils quarantined in their own water for a day first
To prevent tulips turning to the light and becoming bent, wrap them in paper for support and put the wrapped paper and tulips in cold water for 3–5 hours. Once displayed in a vase they work beautifully in a well lit room with windows on both sides of the room.
Colours they come in..
White
Red
Yellow
Cream
Purple
Orange
Pink
Adam the Flower Man on Bloom TV live
The unseen Power of Roses
Roses
Roses are one of if not the most popular of all flowers. Their immense beauty and intoxicating scent are some of their greatest qualities but what we know now is that they have deeper powers we can not see but only feel. Roses are the most powerful of all blooms. Scientists have been able to rate their vibrational energy levels at over 300+mhz with some of the Red varieties rating at over 320mhz. To put it in perspective healthy human beings rate somewhere between 60-80mhz and an organic apple rates at 15mhz. No wonder roses make us feel so good. These guys are also ancient with the oldest Rose fossil found to date is over 300 million years old. Middle Eastern belief says the energy of God can be found in a Rose, which I thank my Uber driver for sharing with me. Roses are one of the best healers too, once cut from their source they immediately start to seal over forcing them to preserve any water they have within their stems. With this knowledge florists and flower lovers must ensure they re cut the stem just before placing water, best practice is to cut the stem under water. We are so fortunate in Victoria to have so many wonderful Rose growers of both indoor and outdoor grown roses. We are honoured to be creating a display on behalf of The Australian Rose Growers Association at this years Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show,
Yvette x
Floral Acts of Kindness
Recently Yvette along with Bloom Graduates ran a charity flower arranging event by Floral acts of kindness. Bloom College graduate Isabelle De Solier came up with the idea for Floral Acts of Kindness last year when her synagogue (TBI) was holding its annual “Mitzvah (Good Deed) Day”, Isabelle said “I wanted to run a volunteer activity that would share the uplifting power of flowers with others. I thought there might be the opportunity to run an initiative with flowers, to rescue those that might otherwise be thrown out and use them instead to bring a smile to someone’s face”.
“I did some research and modelled the event on the charity Random Acts of Flowers in the USA, who were kind enough to share their advice with me”. My wholesaler Mr Fresh generously donated a trolley of open flowers for the event, which TBI volunteers arranged with guidance from myself and two of my Bloom classmates Lindy Dorne and Helen Patrikios, before volunteers hand-delivered the bouquets to residents at Montefiore nursing home”.
For this year’s Mitzvah Day on November 19th we were lucky to have another wholesaler partner with us, Van Gogh Flowers, and the volunteers at TBI watched a demonstration by Yvette before making their arrangements with the assistance of four other Bloom graduates, Lindy Dorne, Lou McLaughlin, Liz Wise and Lyn Scott. In total, our 20 volunteers made over 120 bouquets, which were hand-delivered to residents at Central Park nursing home.
Following the success of these annual events, Yvette and I are keen to hold more regular events in 2018, partnering with further florists, wholesalers, community organisations with volunteers who’d like to arrange flowers, and health organisations with people who’d like to receive flowers. If you’re interested in donating your time or flowers, please email us at: floralactsofkindness@gmail.com. Good feelings guaranteed.
Dr Isabelle de Solier (The Doctor’s Flowers)
With special thanks to Reuben Urban for the photographs
17 key Questions to ask when choosing a floristry school
1. Are the teachers qualified Florists and qualified teachers/facilitators?
2. Can I take my flowers and materials home?
3. Will I get a full range of seasonal high quality flowers to learn with?
4. Is there a limit on class sizes or are classes allowed to be overfilled?
5. Are step by step guides and text books available?
6. Is online content available?
7. Are all learners types accommodated? Audio,Visual, Kinaesthetic
8. Is their a peer group or community set up to support my learning?
9. Do I have direct access to support by the teachers outside of class time?
10. Are class times flexible? Weekday, weekends & evenings
11. Are the classrooms well set up, maintained and follow good OH&S practices?
12. Is the course well recognised by industry?
13. What is the outcome for students?
14. Is work experience/ internships available and organised by the school?
15. Do the teachers stay up to date and continue to develop their skills in teaching and floristry?
16. Is the course content flexible and up to date? i.e.: will the school add content quickly as it becomes relevant to the industry?
17. Will I be supported by the school even once the course ends?
Get a YES to all 17 and you have found the right Flower school
Career Change spotlight – From Nuclear Medicine to flowers
MEET CATHERINE MC GRATH,
Catherine joined the Bloom College Career Change Course in March 2017 and has been creating beautiful results. Here’s an insight into Catherine’s journey so far. You can follow her on social media to watch her progression into her new career.
Before studying floristry I had been a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at the Alfred Hospital for about 12 years.
I’m a mum of 3 (6yrs, 2yrs & 1yr old), I have been living in Point Cook for 10yrs now & living in Melbourne for 17yrs. I grew up in a very small rural town called Gerangamete – in between Colac and Apollo Bay. My parents house is on acreage and my mum was always a very keen gardener, so I was lucky enough to have grown up surrounded by a large garden and lots of flowers! My mum has also been an amazing cake decorator for as long as I can remember – her cakes with icing & fresh flowers have always been an inspiration for me, its fair to say that my family have always been on the arty side. I had always loved art subjects throughout high school, but changed in a science direction when going to Uni. Having been down the science path & no longer being so happy to go into my job everyday – I had just felt the need to get back to my creative side, so after a few years of thinking about it, I decided to make the change. The thought of working with flowers everyday just makes me very happy!
I first looked into Bloom College as I was originally planning to study in Geelong – upon looking into the course, it looked great & just felt like the right fit for me.
Eventually I would like to have a floristry business of my own, However until the kids are all in school I will probably look at working in a shop or for someone else whilst I build up my confidence and floristry knowledge – I’d like to feel like I have a really solid base before jumping in on my own. I also don’t think that I could fully commit to my own business until the kids are all at school.
I love bits and pieces of lots of different floristry styles, so haven’t settled into my own yet & am still very open to the direction that I will take – I’m hoping that that will all just fall into place when its right!
Some more of Catherine’s beautiful work so far;
INSTAGRAM: cath81mcgrath
FACEBOOK: Catherine McGrath
Email: catherinegarraway@hotmail.com
From Zoologist to Florist – Meet Carly Young
We had the pleasure of getting to know Carly in our classroom during 2016. Her caring nature that so perfectly suited her to caring for animals has been translated into the Floristry industry and is now being experienced by her fortunate customers. Enjoy learning more about this special lady and florist, as we introduce you to Carly Young..
What did you do before studying floristry?
I have always been fascinated by the natural world and grew up in country Victoria where my spare time was spent hanging out with our numerous pets (Dad was a local vet), playing in the garden, visiting the beach and horse riding through the countryside. This upbringing led me to study Zoology, Botany and Environmental Conservation at university. I then spent the next decade advocating and caring for both native and domestic animals, working mainly within the animal welfare industry.
What inspired you to make the change to floristry?
My Mum was a keen gardener and also into handcrafts. From a young age, she taught me and my siblings to make and value handmade items and gifts. I always enjoyed art and creative activities but never thought it was something I could legitimately make an income from. At the beginning of last year, my husband and I found an opportunity to move from Melbourne back to regional Victoria. At this time, I felt I was ready to embrace a possible career change and floristry seemed like the perfect way to explore my creative side.
Why did you choose Bloom College?
I compared lots of different floristry courses but Bloom offered the most flexibility and also seemed to be a lot more up to speed with current trends and styles. I started out doing some workshops and then signed up for the Flower Basics course. I was hooked! When the five week course ended, I really missed going to class each week and knew I wanted to learn as much as possible about floristry. At this point, signing up for the Floristry Career Course was a no-brainer and one of the best decisions I have made. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was entering into a community offering ongoing advice and support, access to expert teachers and mentors, plus I have made some wonderful new Flower Friends.
What does working with flowers give you that your previous career/s did not?
Floristry perfectly links my love of nature with creativity and a chance to make people happy every day. I get to explore different colours and textures, look forward to the constantly changing seasons and enjoy working with clients to make their floral concepts a reality. I also have the flexibility to work from home which means I get to hang out with my fur kids a lot more!
Tell us about your business, what are your core products?
Currently I enjoy making and delivering weekly posy jars, visiting the fresh flower markets, or local growers to choose seasonal and Australian grown flowers. I aim to provide high quality products, while making things easy for my customers, offering three sizes to choose from plus a range of luxury, locally made add on gifts. I also specialise in making terrariums and kokedamas (moss balls) as a unique way to display indoor plants. This year I will be offering bespoke wedding and events services, customised to each couple’s distinctive style and relationship.
What is your vision for the future of your business and or the industry?
I would love to see the floristry industry move towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. This is something I strive for in my own business. I also enjoy partnering with other local businesses, with a strong emphasis on supporting locally made products.
Who inspires you?
I was so fortunate to have scored one of my floristry idols as a teacher while at Bloom College. Alice from She’s a Wildflower does beautiful work and has built her business on the strength of her talents and social media profile. I was thrilled to be offered an internship with Alice at the end of my course and was privileged to work alongside her and my classmate Prue (aka Miss Thistle) to produce florals for several weddings – including one I’ll never forget, which had a grungy, carnival theme! The additional skills and confidence I gained from completing the internship were invaluable.
I’m also inspired by my Nan’s gardening skills, but unfortunately I seem to have missed out on the green thumb genes. Luckily she lets me raid her garden whenever I like.
What is your preferred design style? or flowers?
I love natural, loose and flowing styles, although my tendency towards perfectionism has made this a challenge to master. I enjoy foraging for unusual foliage or other botanical pieces to add to my designs. I also like to get a bit crafty and add personal touches to my work. For example, I recently handmade around 70 tiny toadstool figurines from glow-in-the-dark polymer clay, to use in my terrariums.
My favourite flowers change with the seasons, but right now I am obsessed with dahlias. I’ll look forward to the beautiful foliage in Autumn, then hellebores in Winter, poppies and ranunculus in Spring.
Contact details
Blue Wren Floristry is based out of my home studio in Ballarat, Victoria.
hello@bluewrenfloristry.com
Instagram: @little.blue.wren
Facebook: Blue Wren Floristry
Pinterest: @bluewrenflorist
Meet the lovely Alice – founder of Love Alice & Co
From School teacher to Florist, meet the lovely Alice founder of Love Alice & Co. An inspiring person with a big heart and a vision to match.
Floral Stylist: Alice Hall
Love Alice & CO.
What did you do before studying floristry?
Before studying floristry, I worked as a Primary School Teacher within multicultural schools across Melbourne. I had the privilege of facilitating an environmental program for children on Heron Island and have also worked in Recruiting and Business Development for leading organisations in the Health Sector. I have always enjoyed working with people and the opportunity to create hand crafted designs.
What inspired you to make the change to floristry?
My childhood is filled with an abundance of fond memories of the flowers growing at our family home. We had the most beautiful garden window in the kitchen, which looked out on to an arch in the front garden, with miniature pink roses cascading and meandering over it. The intricate detail of each petal and the vibrant colours that Mother Nature displays is breath taking. My Grandfather is a spectacular water colour artist and often paints various types of flowers. My family, are a very large and special part of my journey in launching Love Alice & CO.
I was inspired to make the change to floristry because I see flowers wherever I travel and am continually brainstorming new and exciting colour combinations and textures. When I personally deliver a bridal bouquet to the bride and see the look on her face, when I facilitate a workshop and hear someone say, “I can do this” and when the whole team stops for a moment, after we have set up for a wedding or special event, it is the best feeling, knowing we have made such a positive impact in the lives of others.
When people walk in to the Love Alice & CO. store, they say, “This is my space of zen,” or “It is so relaxing and I feel so calm in here.” “I am so happy we have something this beautiful within walking distance, they say with a big smile.”
Why did you choose Bloom College?
I chose Bloom College as I had called many leading florists across Melbourne and all of them had spoken extremely highly of Bloom College. I knew I was very passionate about weddings and events and they highly recommended gaining contemporary experience at a private college such as Bloom, as the course is structured in a way that allows you to learn state of the art techniques that are relevant and up to date with what is happening in the industry right now. I also liked that you can take your floral creations home with you to practice with and learn about their vase life, what flowers are suitable for corporate arrangements, etc.
What does working with flowers give you that your previous career/s did not?
Working with flowers gives you the freedom to be creative every day. Flowers nourish the soul and there are so many areas you can be involved in such as weddings, events, consultations, creating corporate arrangements, shop management, accounting, business development, marketing, ordering, selecting from the local markets, travelling to beautiful destinations world wide and learning about the meaning of each flower, interior design, the principles of colour, texture, line, composition, movement, shape, balance, mood and meeting so many extraordinary people.
Tell us about your business, what are your core products?
Love Alice & CO. specialises in weddings and events. Our store focuses on creating a personalised experience for our customers, where people can choose their favourite wrapping paper and the colour of ribbon or lace. We are a bespoke floral design studio so our clients can pre order their favourite types of flowers or colours of their choice and we will order them in especially.
What is your vision for the future of your business and or the industry?
My vision for the future of my business is to gain government funding for a school based incursion so children can learn the art of floristry as part of their curriculum.
I am also very passionate about supporting our Victorian growers in the floristry industry as the quality is superb, the flowers are not in transit for long so customers are able to enjoy their flowers for longer and it promotes a healthier work environment without the nasty chemicals.
Who inspires you?
Family are my inspiration. My amazing partner will often assist me in conditioning every single flower and remove all thorns from roses. Our family have donated vintage furniture made curtains for my store and often assist with deliveries. My Uncle made a custom water trough and also a beam across the ceiling of the store to attach garlands to. My Mum is an absolute angel. She comes to every single wedding to help set up, pack down and is an inspiration!
My family have instilled the values in me that I hope to pass on to our children one day: “Everything and anything is possible if you dare to dream, believe it can happen and take steps each day towards that goal”.
What is your preferred design style?
My preferred design style is wild and rambling, as though freshly picked from the garden, featuring textures which are unique and unexpected. I enjoy foraging across Victoria to hand select each individual bloom to ensure the highest quality and include elements which are special to my clients, such as the flowers their grandmother wore in her hair on their wedding day, or the flowers which symbolise the two cultures of the bride and groom. Love Alice & CO. is all about the details and creating from the heart.
When I was researching different fonts for my logo, the font I loved the most stood out due to the beautiful ampersand. I checked the name of our logo font and it is actually titled ‘Alice.’
Instagram: @lovealiceandco
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovealiceandco
Phone: 0478 808 292
Email: create@lovealiceandco.com.au
Store address: 18 / 37-39 Albert Road, Melbourne 3004
October is the month of giving at Bloom College
Create and contribute in October
“The secret to living is giving”, Tony Robbins
Ever wanted to create beauty using gifts of nature and contribute to the lives of others all at the same time? YES…. Then join us as we ‘create and contribute’
October is the month of giving here at Bloom College & we have a range of options for you to choose. From as little as $20 you can learn a new skill.
‘Petal it Forward’ in the USA is on October 19, It’s were flower lovers create bouquets and give them away. We love the idea and it just so happens that it coincides with the our annual creation of the table centrepiece for the pink ribbon breakfast. Join us at the Pink Ribbon workshop – create a table flower design for the National Breast Cancer Foundation biggest breakfast event on the calendar – donate your time and $50 to this cause that is literally close to all our hearts. (BOOK NOW) You might also like to join us at the breakfast $55 per head. (Details- link to pink ribbon breakfast booking page)
‘Blooming Business’ – Business start ups session perfect for those starting a floristry business, newly commenced or need to make changes to an existing floristry business. All proceeds go to Supporting women in business & business start ups in Uganda. Creating sustainable communities is the answer to world hunger and women have the power to make it happen – ‘The Hunger Project’ Minimum donation $20 (BOOK NOW)
‘Care & Share’ – create Bespoke designs, get guidance support and network with other likeminded florists. Workshop is designed for those with intermediate to advanced floristry skills. Perfect for Career Change Course graduates.
All proceeds go to Supporting women & children in Uganda. Creating sustainable communities is the answer to world hunger and women have the power to make it happen – ‘The Hunger Project’ Minimum donation $20 (BOOK NOW)
You can choose 1 or attend all, the choice is yours and what makes it even more fun is sharing it with friends
Create & Contribute Events
OCT 19 -‘Petal it Forward’ – Pink Ribbon workshop
OCT 22 -Date- ‘Care & Share’ – Bespoke designs
OCT 24 – ‘Blooming Business’ – Business Start Ups